Little Children, Big Challenges~helping kids become more resilient

You know that my family loves all things Sesame Street…so I was thrilled to learn about and help promote this new initiative for them. (this is the part where I commence hand-wringing and muttering “kids these days…”) But seriously, have you noticed that in some ways, kids today are just different? The generation of “everyone gets a trophy just for showing up” is taking it’s toll. During the years I spent teaching, I saw so many kids and young people who just did not have great problem solving skills, coping skills…resiliency.

I’m not the only one to have noticed this, obviously, if Sesame Workshop has decided to do a whole program around it. This topic was also featured on a recent episode of the Katie Couric show.

While past Sesame Workshop initiatives have tackled big life changes like incarceration and divorce, the organization is now focusing on giving parents and educators the necessary resources to help kids deal with issues like learning how to share, beating the bedtime blues and making new friends, as well as more significant situations like sibling rivalry, bullying or relocation. I took a look at what they have out there and it’s fantastic. There are different guides for different parts of the day, and even some strategies for mean or aggressive behavior. It also talks about the differences between some mean and aggressive behaviors and bullying, which I love!